Sunday, 27 February 2011

Other duties over the last few days have prevented me from my usual spotting activities.
I did manage to capture these two on the 25th.
Helilink's Aerospatiale AS355F1 Twin Squirrel ZK-HPA2 , c/n 5010 , was caught at the Heli Centre.
Whilst the Beech B200C Super King Air ZK-PLK , c/n BL-64 , was seen later in the day near the Engineering Training School hangar.

Saturday, 26 February 2011

The latest Pitts Special to come onto the register is this S-2A ZK-UFX , c/n 2140. An Aerotek built 1977 example which has been flying with Jonny White of Old South Way Inc out of Abingdon, Virginia as N80P before sale to Tasman Bay Aviation of Motueka, with whom it was registered on 23-11-2010. It is to replace the Pitts S2E Special ZK-ELI.

Robinson R22 Beta ZK-HIR3 , c/n 2620 , as seen at Nelson on 22-02-2011. It is on line with the Nelson Aviation College at Motueka.

Also spied at its base in Nelson, but on the 18th, was the Cessna 402B ZK-MAP2 , c/n 402B-1056 , of Aerial Surveys Ltd of Nelson. It is not long back from a major rework and repaint. Below is close up of the vertical fin markings.

And MAN is it raining. Beech B200 Super King Air ZK-MAN2 being pushed back into its hangar after returning in the rain at Nelson on 22-02-2011.

The North Shore Airfield held an open day today which drew many resident aircraft out on display, plus quite a few visitors from as far away as Dunedin (ZK-NJS)and Kerikeri (ZK-LPM).

By my count there are around 25 sport aircraft now based at North Shore. Below I post 2 recent arrivals that have migrated to North shore as completed aircraft.

ZK-DES is our latest Vans RV 7, and joins 5 other RV's on the feild. It is ex N174RL. It is owned by Spectrum Trade Ltd of Silverdale, and it was first registered on 3/11/10.

Another immigrant is the Periera GP 4 that was built by John Evans of Blenhiem, and which was first registered on 10/12/03. It has a Subaru motor and a 4 bladed propeller, and sounds amazing when it flies over. It was registered to The Logan Family Trust of North Shore on 27/11/10.

First noted on 04-02-2011 in the Heli Maintenance hangar at Christchurch was this early production model Hughes 269B N9309F. It is a rather tired looking helicopter with I believe about 5000 airframe hours and a high time engine.

Above is the manufacturers plate with tells us that it is a 269B model and has a build date of 123 which translates to December (12) 1963 (3) and that it is the eleventh (0011) 269B production model.

Now despite the moves of certain people : there is still some humour, mirth and merriment among the aviation fraternity. Above is a pic of the battery box and below is one of a couple of bullet hole transfers on the tail boon.

This helicopter has aspirations of becoming ZK-ING for Neil Gray of Hokitika.

I popped into Motueka on 20-02-2011 and found these three interesting aircraft.

The Champion 7GCBC Citabria ZK-CRH , c/n 7GCBC-32 , was registered with the Middle Districts Aero Club on 05-12-1966 and has been raced, rolled and rallied by numerous operators ever since. In 1992 it joined a Queenstown Syndicate which included the Wakatipu Aero Club, to whom it was ultimately registered on 17-09-1995. It then spent a short period with Jagair from October 2008 until being listed with the CRH Syndicate on 30-12-2009. Here it is on line with the Nelson Aviation College at Motueka.

Tucked in the back corner of a hangar was this TEAM Hi-Max ZK-JBM , c/n 245. This was the Alistair McKenzie machine which was first registered on 23-10-1992. It was withdrawn and cancelled on 16-09-2008. Malcolm Belcher returned it to the register on 27-04-2009, selling it to the Kudrass Family Trust at Motueka on 14-04-2010.

In the other rear corner of the hangar was this Zenair CH701 STOL ZK-JLN2 , c/n 7-2026. This was the John Lowther built STOL which appeared on our listings on 29-03-2006. It was transferred to Shafid Khan of Motueka on 07-08-2010.

Friday, 25 February 2011

Aerospart Scamp ZK-MLM , c/n AACA/470 , was built by Parker B Mudge of Queenstown and registered on 19-03-1982. Ownership changed to S D & R L Guy of Waimate on 20-04-1997. (also operated the Cessna U206F ZK-SDG at about the same time).
It was damaged on landing at Oamaru on 25-04 1996 (Can anyone confirm that date please ?). Its registration was cancelled on 29-09-1998.
It was re-registered on 05-12-2008 to Kevin Langford of Darfield and was spied in the corner of his hangar at Ashburton during the recent SAA fly in weekend. Also in Kevin's hangar was his Yak 55 ZK-JPO.

Anonymous : Flick me an email with your postal address & I will send out the chocolate fish.

Hawker Beechcraft B350i ZK-MMM2 , c/n FL-727 , of Woodland Services Ltd in its current hangar at Nelson. The hangar was originally built for the shorter wing span of their earlier C90GTi model, ZK-MMM1.
A larger new hangar is under construction off to the right of this pic; taken at Nelson on 15-01-2011. The aircraft has been pretty active in the last few days.

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Before proceeding with this post, I want to extend my sympathies to anyone reading the blog from Christchurch, and to Blue Bus: I pray that all is well with you and your family.

Flyernzl was right in saying that Parakai was a magnet for gyrocopters. In fact there were 9 of them there, and I post some of them below.

The Carpenterie Pagotto Brako Gyro ZK-ZNB is manufactured at Pianzaro in Italy by what was originally the Pagotto Carpentry Company (who started of manufacturing fences and gates!) It represents yet another type of European gyrocopter, all of them variations on a similar theme - 2 seat tandem, with a Rotax 912 or 914 motor and streamlined enclosed bodies, and with obviously good cross country capabilities (although I think ZK-ZNB probably came from Kerikeri rather than Central Otago).

Behind is the ELA Aviacion ELA-08-R-115 ZK-LMO which is manufactured by ELA Aviacion at Cordoba in Spain.

And the German equivalent is the Eagle MT 03 gyrocopter manufactured by Autogyro GmbH at Hildesheim in Germany. Here Gyrate NZ's ZK-MTO is put through its paces in a spirited display.

Next, Rotorflight Tandem Dominator ZK-RAW hails from Taumaranui. It was originally ZK-RAM built by W B Black of Te Anau.

Next is a classic Bensen B 8M gyrocopter owned by G L Woodward of Silverdale. (I should have taken the photo from the other side as the lines of the Bensen get rather swallowed up by the gyrocopter behind).

And finally this Rotor Hawk Falcon 1 ZK-RDF, also owned by G L Woodward. Both of these last two gyrocopters were for sale, and maybe they have been inactive because neither had rotor blades fitted.

The other gyrocopters there were Oskar Steilau's MT 03 Eagle ZK-RBG and UFO Heli-Thruster gyrocopter ZK-RIG and Calidus Fern ZK-ZMM as posted by Flyernzl. All very interesting.

Sunday, 20 February 2011

I was able to call in at Parakai, but had to leave at midday.At that time, a considerable number of aircraft were present. Mostly 'the usual suspects' but a few new ones.Parakai seems to have become a magnet for gyros. Oscar Stielau's MT02 Eagle looked as if it was being made ready for flight.

The red beast behind it on the trailer was the Acorn Industries Ltd UFO Heli-Thruster ZK-RIG. Looks like this has yet to fly.

Perhaps the award for the longest commute should bo to the Carpenterie Pagotto Brako Gyroplane ZK-ZNB of Christel Diener & Michel Babou, Arrowtown. Thats a long way from Parakai.

The Tauranga gyro contingent made a nice lineup.

Among the fixed wing, I'd not seen this Progressive Aerodyne Sea Rey ZK-SRY before.

Looks like it was set to be a really nice turnout, pity I had to leave early.

The Technam agents had a new aircraft at the Parakai Airfield Summer Fly In. Although it might look like some previous Technam models, the P2008 is in fact an entirely new design with a composite fuselage and rudder, and metal wings and stabilator. It features the standard 100 HP Rotax 912 engine and can be operated as either a Class 2 microlight or a Light Sport Aircraft.

ZK-JAX is our first P2008 and was registered on 17/1/11 to Ardmore Aviation Services. It is shown here on rotation from Parakai's airstrip. I looks like a very smooth aircraft.

Only slightly heavier on the lightness scale were 2 Mosquito helicopters which performed a spirited display. Oskar Stielau's Mosquito XEL ZK-HNG and the agents demonstrator Mosquito XE ZK-IXE are shown together here. They even sound a bit like buzzing insects!

The Parakai Airfield Summer Fly In was held at Parakai yesterday in lovely weather. The winds were light and some of the aerial devices were even lighter!

These 2 powered parpentes launched from the far end of the field and floated around before landing gracefully before the crowd. They were quite manoueverable

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And here are the 2 intrepid paranauts, Mike and Greg, walking back to the launch point. I forgot to ask them, but do these machines need to be registered? Can anyone advise? Have parachute, can travel!

Monday, 14 February 2011

The SAA fly in at Ashburton over the weekend of February 4-5 & 6 was an aircraft spotters picnic; with over 100 aircraft on the field. Below are just four of them.

De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-CDU , c/n 3581 is an ex RAF and British civil aircraft that came to NZ as ZK-BAW. It was rebuilt by Charles Liddell and first flew on 14-05-1964 as ZK-CDU. It was delivered to the Ashburton Aviation Museum Society Inc from the Upton Family Trust on 08-02-2002. Earlier fuselage registration markings are still visible on the side of the fuselage.

Another local is this Denny Kitfox IV ZK-CGT2 , c/n ADU147 . This was an import from the US by Graham and Cheryl Taylor of Wanaka in May of 1997. Currently owned by Bob Yates.

The Europa XS ZK-CHV2 , c/n 456 , is the Bill Sisley aircraft.

Taylor JT-1 Monoplane ZK-CRS , c/n AACA/44/1 , was a Clarence Healey built project which first flew on 04-02-1973. It had a major rebuild in the mid 1990's and is currently owned by David Grove-Hills of Auckland.

Friday, 11 February 2011

MD500N Notar ZK-HEN/3 was outside at Oceania today, 11 February) having been registered to Heliventures of Oamaru on 2 February. It was subsequently noted crossing Cook Strait southbound the same afternoon.

Mike Condon photo

Eurocopter EC120 ZK-HMY, previously blogged a couple of days ago, now features a more permanent registration.

Thursday, 10 February 2011

The circuit at Ardmore was alive with activity today, mostly from the resident Flying School however nicely punctuated with circuit activity from the country's only Extra ZK-XRA plus Ryan ST-MS2 ZK-BEM. The latter took off for the training area on a maintenance flight. Brilliant to see these two similarly configured aeroplanes out and about at the same time.

Alighting from the Oceania facility at Ardmore 10 February was Eurocopter AS350 ZK-ITG. This machine has been stored at Ardmore for a few months now following Alpine Choppers of Queenstown entering receivership.